Ovechkin 'getting close' to passing Gretzky after scoring No. 891 in Capitals win

BOSTON -- Alex Ovechkin is now a hat trick away from tying Wayne Gretzky.

Ovechkin scored his 891st goal in the Washington Capitals’ 4-3 win against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Tuesday to move within three of equaling and four of breaking Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 goals.

Ovechkin continues not to look too far ahead, though, with his next opportunity to cut into Gretzky’s lead coming when the Capitals visit the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, MAX, MNMT, truTV, TNT, TVAS)

“Game by game, shift by shift,” Ovechkin said, repeating a mantra he’s followed throughout this chase. “Right now, at this time of the year, everybody has to be sharp and get ready for the playoffs.”

The Capitals (48-17-9) have eight games remaining for Ovechkin to complete his quest to pass Gretzky this season and to sharpen their play before the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. So far, those two pursuits have not conflicted with each other.

“I think it’s brought our group up,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “And the anticipation and him scoring and the jolt of energy that it’s provided on a nightly basis, I don’t think it’s been a negative or weight on anybody’s shoulders, his or the rest of the group.”

There will be increasing focus and media attention on Ovechkin with each goal he scores, though. And now that he’s within three of tying the record, he will enter each game with the potential to put his name at least alongside Gretzky's in the record book before the night is over.

“Every game brings a new challenge and it’s a chance for history,” Capitals center Dylan Strome said. “So, we’re excited. It’s been a lot of fun to be along for the ride for this couple years, and it’s only going to get better.”

Although Ovechkin’s 891st goal, which came on the power play at 15:43 of the first period, increased Washington’s lead to 2-0, it brought a roar from the Boston crowd in appreciation. Ovechkin moved down from his usual power-play spot in the left circle to outside the left side of the crease and had an empty net to shoot the puck into after Strome redirected John Carlson’s shot-pass from the point across to him.

“A goal is a goal,” Ovechkin said. “It was great play by ‘Stromer’ and ‘Carly.’”

Despite missing 16 games from Nov. 21-Dec. 23 with a fractured left fibula, Ovechkin leads the Capitals with 38 goals in 58 games this season and is two away from reaching 40 for the 14th time in his 20 NHL seasons, which would increase his League-record total. The 39-year-old left wing has scored in two straight games, including a deflection goal in the third period of an 8-5 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.

Before Tuesday, Ovechkin hadn’t scored in consecutive games since he had a hat trick against the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 23 and a goal against the Calgary Flames on Feb. 25. But if the pressure of the record chase is impacting Ovechkin, he’s not showing it.

“It’s unbelievable, and I think that’s selling it short how just incredible this whole journey has been,” Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren said. “I go back to when he was injured and out for a while. I think when that happened, everyone was kind of thinking to themselves whether or not it was going to be possible (this season). But anything’s possible with Alex Ovechkin.

“We’ve seen that this far and got eight games to go and just the best thing about it is it doesn’t feel like there’s any pressure at all and the team’s enjoying it.”

Ovechkin hasn’t had much interest in talking about the record as he’s gotten closer to it, usually giving brief answers to questions about it or trying to deflect the attention elsewhere. But he’s also tried to embrace the experience of going through the chase with his teammates and family.

“I think we all enjoy this moment,” he said Tuesday morning. “You guys enjoy it, fans enjoy. Just play, enjoy and enjoy this situation.”

Capitals forward Ryan Leonard had trouble finding the words to describe what it was like to make his NHL debut in front of family and friends in his home state of Massachusetts and jump into the tail end of Ovechkin’s record chase. The 20-year-old signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Washington on Monday after losing with Boston College against Denver in the NCAA Regional Final on Sunday.

That gave him an ice-level view of Ovechkin’s 891st goal.

“I can’t really explain it, honestly,” said Leonard, the No. 8 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. “If you had told me this a couple years ago, it just wouldn’t be real. I really don’t know what to say to that. It’s just really cool. Just trying to embrace the moment.”

Ovechkin had a chance to score his 892nd after the Bruins pulled goalie Jeremy Swayman for an extra attacker late in the game, but he fired wide right of the vacated net from outside the Boston blue line with 1:01 remaining. He’ll try again against the Hurricanes on Wednesday.

The Capitals can sense now, though, that he’s only one big night away from making history.

“It’s getting close,” Carbery said. “You can feel it, yeah. You can definitely feel it. If that empty-netter (went in) ... yeah, it’s getting close.”